Friendship
by Beagairbheag
Summary: A Lindsay centred piece featuring Flack, Hawkes and Adam. Sometimes a girl just needs to know she's wanted. Post 4X16. May contain spoilers. Now AU
1. Chapter 1

_I feel so bad for jumping on the bandwagon and writing a post episode fic for "Right Next Door" but I cant let it go. That two faced, lying rat bastard shall be mentioned in this fic but will play no part as I've decided to focus on Lindsay to show her that she has friends who are on her side._

_The other nights episode did kill off a lot of plot bunnies though, even with existing stories which sucks. I hope it hasn't scared off some of my favourite authors as I'd still love to read their stuff._

_Shippers…read into this what you like._

_Part one of two._

* * *

"Linds?"

When he'd returned to the crime lab in the early hours of the morning to drop of a copy of the finished report on Mac's desk, she was the last person he'd expected to see within the glass confines of the New York City crime lab. As far as he knew she'd been there since the start of the case, starting at Stella's place and helping to pinpoint the source of the fire before helping to break the case later on and lead them straight to the missing children. Making two separate families very happy.

Standing at the door to her office he'd called out her name before stepping fully into the room and closing the door quietly behind him. She didn't move as he pulled out a seat and sat next to her, her gaze loosely on the table in front of her and on the blinking light of the answering machine sitting on the desk opposite.

His gaze flicked between the woman and table, and for the first time he noticed the long dried tear stains that littered her cheeks and the resignation in her eyes.

"Lindsay?" he asked again, leaning close and laying a hand on her arm, causing her to turn to him before she reached out and pressed the play button on the answer machine. She looked at him directly, holding his gaze before turning away as the robotic voice announced that there was one new message and a woman's voice began to speak.

"_Danny…its me. We, we need to talk….about last night. It shouldn't have happened…we shouldn't…we need to talk. Can you give me a call sometime?…bye"_

The machine beeped again and the room fell into silence.

Flack couldn't believe his ears. The voice on the machine was one that he was familiar with, even after only hearing it once or twice but the situation it presented was not and had he not heard the message himself, he would have had a hard time believing it. As it was, he still couldn't believe it.

'_He wouldn't.' _he thought _'Not…He just wouldn't.' _but as the voice in his head argued and words on the message echoed round his head he knew it was true.

'_Fuck' _He cursed, running a head over his face and into his hair. A quick glance in her direction showed that Lindsay hadn't moved and it suggested to him that she'd heard this a couple of times already.

It was time to get her out of here.

He looked again at the woman next to him before standing and pulling her up with him. She resisted a little bit but he was persistent. He knew that if he didn't get her to move now then she'd still be here in the morning and he'd be called in to deal with an internal homicide.

He didn't speak as he held out her coat, pulling it up and over her shoulders when she put her hands down the arms. He picked up her bag and slipped it on her arm. He opened the door and, placing a hand at the base of her back, steered her out of the office and down towards the elevators.

Halfway there he felt her begin to shake and he warped an arm around her waist just as her knee's gave way. He pulled her towards him slightly and she went crashing into his side, her breath coming in short gasps.

Stumbling slightly they made it to the elevator doors and while they waited for it to arrive they let the silence envelop them, the ding of the doors opening the only sound echoing down the near deserted corridor of the crime lab.

Walking into the small enclosed space, and ignoring the tell tale mirrors, she shrugged out of his hold and as the doors closed she leant back against the cool surface before sliding down it. Coming to a rest in a presentable heap on the floor.

He reached out and pressed the stop button before sitting down beside her, their shoulders touching. As he was about to speak the phone on the side of his hip began to ring. Glancing at Lindsay, who had turned away, wrongly thinking she knew who was on the other end.

"Flack"

"_Hey man, I thought you where coming out with us?"_

"I think I might take a rain check"

There was a moments pause on the other end. _"Is everything alright?"_

"Yeah. I just ran into a friend and I'm going to walk them home,"

"No," she said, speaking suddenly for the first time. She looked across at him. "I want to go for a drink."

"Hang on a minute Hawkes" he said down the phone before covering the mouth piece. "You sure that's a good idea?" he asked her, dipping his head and trying to catch her eye.

"Probably not," she admitted "But I need a drink." She looked at him then and he saw in her eyes that if he didn't take her with him, then the likelihood was that she was going to pick a bottle up on the way home and probably have too much. At least this way he'd have some control on how much she consumed.

"Fine" he conceded "Hey Hawkes, me and Lindsay will be over in a little while so keep a place for us."

"_Lindsay? Didn't she go home hours ago?"_

"I'll talk to you when we get there ok? See ya" And with that Flack hung up, unwilling and unable to continue the conversation with Lindsay sitting right next to him. He also wasn't sure how she was going to do this and didn't want to go blurting out things that might come back and bite her later on.

"You sure about this? You wouldn't rather go home?" he asked as he pocket his phone.

"I think a little liquid anaesthetic is what I need right about now." she replied. Her head hit the wall of the elevator as she leant back "Besides, I don't really fancy being alone right now. It tends to make the mind wonder, you know?"

As the tears threatened to fall once more, he placed his arm over her shoulder and pulled her towards him. Clasping her tightly to his side and resting his cheek against the top of his head, he felt her take a few calming breaths while he took some of his own.

She shifted in his embrace and he thought for a moment that she was going to pull away, but she only snuggled closer, burying head into the area where his neck connected with his shoulder. He felt her breath against his skin and struggled not to shiver.

'_Danny Messer you fucking, two faced rat bastard._' Flack thought to himself as he held her. She didn't deserved this and by god he was going let that asshole know it.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you all for the reviews, alerts and favourites. I wasn't going to end it where I did, but am glad now that I stopped there. I hope the next part lives up to your expectations, and mine._

_On another note. As much as I love my ship (Danny/Lindsay), I will call her every name under the sun if she takes him back. If she doesn't know then I can see them getting back together for a while…before the whole thing comes back to bite him on the ass, cause you just know that's going to happen. Why couldn't they have just kissed? A kiss I could have handled, especially if she initiated it and he stopped it._

_The only good thing that has come out of this, is that my muse is on overdrive. Serious overdrive. Which doesn't bode well for my school work._

_Again…shippers, read into it what you will. I'm saying nothing._

* * *

Stella wasn't sure. Until that moment.

Then she knew.

She could tell something wasn't right at the scene. Flack had talked to her till Danny had turned up and then had made himself scarce. Chatting with follow officers and techs, he had kept one half of his attention on the conversation he was involved in, and one on Danny. Though the other man didn't seem to notice.

Detective Don Flack Jnr (include the last part at your own risk) was a hard man to miss. Standing at over six foot tall, he towered over many and dwarfed most. He was handsome as well, always turning heads amongst the female population and even getting the once over from some of the male members of the species.

He took it all in his stride though. Smiling politely at the women and laughing of the looks from the guys. Showing everyone that he could take a compliment, from where ever it came.

Stella was working with Danny on a labour intensive piece of evidence when he came down the hall, pausing just outside the door to have a quick chat and laugh with Adam which Stella watched with interest. She wasn't aware that the two of them knew each other well, but from the looks of things, they'd become pretty tight.

Flack waved Adam off. Calling at him down the corridor, to which the lab rat must have replied with something humorous because Flack let out a bark of laughter. His shoulders shaking, face lit up.

The second he pushed open the re-enforced glass door though, all the laughter ceased and the light was doused.

Danny, who had been working on one of the many collected stains, looked up to see who had entered the room only to find Flacks hard gaze on him. One that Stella had rarely seen anywhere apart from the interrogation room, and even in there it was a rare sight.

The pair locked gazes for a moment, Flacks eyes as cold as stone while Danny just looked a little confused.

Breaking off, Flack turned to Stella and regarded her warmly.

"What do you have for me Stel?" he asked.

As Stella began to go though what they had collected she found it odd that Flack kept all his attention on her, even when Danny spoke. When the other man spoke, a dark flash of something would cross over the detectives face before he took a breath and addressed Stella again. Asking her to give him the same information that

"What is your problem Flack?" Danny finally cried as he came to the end of his patience, slamming his fit down on the table and making it wobble.

The dark haired detective looked over. "You Messer, are my problem."

"What did I do?"

"Hit the nail on the head there Messer. Though you got it slightly wrong," Flack said with a cruel laugh, turning to him. "Its not what, but who."

Two out of the three occupants in the room narrowed their eyes in confusion. Pulling off his gloves and sticking them their designated box, Danny stepped round the side of the table.

"What the hells that meant to mean?" Danny growled at him, taking another step forward.

Flack stood his ground. "You know damn well what it means Messer." he hissed.

Stella was becoming a bit concerned at that moment. The guys where squaring up to one another and the air was crackling with unused energy. She glanced around the lab through the glass walls. Mac wasn't anywhere in sight but Hawkes was coming down the hall, his head buried in a police report.

As if sensing her gaze on him he looked up and caught her worried glance. When he saw what was causing her discomfort, he lowered the report and headed in her direction, waling through the door just as the men face within inches of each other.

"Flack" he said, a slightly warning tone in his voice.

"Piss of Sheldon" came the reply. As the two men continued their stand off.

The former doctor sighed and folded his arms over his chest, coming to stand beside Stella who was watching it all through eyes wide open. "You promised."

Stella saw the fight go out of Don slightly, and so did Danny, who did the wrong thing by grinning at what he thought was going to be his impending victory.

'_Wrong thing to do Danny'_, Stella thought at the dark haired detective moved forward a place, forcing the slightly smaller CSI to back up a step.

"By all means," Hawkes continued. "Take him to a back alley somewhere later on and beat the shit out of him there. Just not here, not now. You made a promise and you need to keep it. She needs to know that she has people she can trust, who can do something for her when she asks. She needs to know she can trust you Don, don't throw that away."

If anyone has asked, Stella would have been the first to admit that she didn't have a clue what was going on. Hawkes and Flack seemed to know the 411, and she saw a flash of something pass over Danny's face before he quickly dismissed it. So she guessed he might have some idea on what this was about.

"You heard that word before Messer? Trust? Know what it is?"

"Somebody whack you over the head Flack? Cause you aint making much sense." Danny said, trying to brush him off.

"At least I'm thinking with the right head!"

Danny paused and looked at him, realisation dawning. Flack let out a laugh.

"That's right Messer. I know, Hawkes knows," he stepped closer to Danny, leaning down so that mere inches separated them. "She knows."

From where they where standing, both Stella and Hawkes saw the look of shock that emerged on Danny's features, thought Flack was speaking low that they couldn't hear what was being said. Hawkes felt he could take a pretty good guess though.

"For fuck sake Danny," Flack began again, and for a moment Danny saw a glimpse of his friend and not the angry madman who was bearing down upon him. "Why the hell couldn't you have taken to drink? Or even drugs? Why this? Why the slut next door?"

Hawkes grabbed a hold of Stella as Danny swung, barely missing the tall detective who had taken a step back just a moment before. As quick as that, Flack had Danny in a standard police hold and had slammed him against the table, jarring it violently.

Bent almost double and being unable to move his arms, there wasn't much else Danny could do but keep himself breathing. A task that was proving ever more difficult as the pressure on his chest kept increasing. Multicoloured dots began to dance in front of his eyes before the pressure let up, and he became aware of another presence in the room.

Flack had lost all sense when Danny had taken a swing at him. All he could hear was the sound of his own heart thumping in his ears, as he effectively blocked out the rest of the world. His line of site centred on the back of Danny's head and although he wasn't speaking, his thoughts cursed and swore, calling the man squirming under him all the names under the sun.

In his rage he failed to notice the extra person in the room. The one who had caught a glimpse of what was happening down the corridor and who had sped up when the lab techs, police officers and admin staff had stopped dead to watched the action, before letting out a singular gasp as the two men finally came together in a mass of failing arms.

Flack felt separate from the scene, letting his anger wash over him. It wasn't until a small pair of hands, cool to the touch, traced their way up and long his arm that he blinked and found himself in the position he was in. He turned his head so that he could see her but she leant over him, obscuring his view of her face.

Her hand continued to trail along, up to his shoulder and came to rest at the base of his neck. Applying gentle pressure there and pulling him slightly. Her other hand sped down his arm, coming to rest over his larger hand, prying the tightly clutched fingers from where they held the body below.

Leaning close to him she whispered in his ear though he didn't know what she said. It was more the tone that he listened to, feeling it seeping into him and chasing away the rage.

She guided him with those hands. The one on his neck making a lazy path down his back, coming to rest at the small of his back. The other retained its grip of his hand though the gentle hold that she had been using was quickly turning as she sought to express her feelings at that moment.

They walked down the hall in silence, slowly down only once on the way to the elevators so that Kendall could hand Lindsay her bag. Flack was slowly becoming more aware of his surroundings and now noticed the small audience they had gathered. He turned his hand in hers so that he now grasped her hand in his. Fully encasing it, he gave it a squeeze. Trying to tell her he was sorry without vocalising it aloud.

His heart skipped a beat when she didn't do anything but keep walking, before it skipped again when she did squeeze back. He let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding

Danny tried to get out of the room, to follow her down the corridor and to the lift but he found the doorway blocked by both Hawkes and Adam who stood shoulder to shoulder barring his exit.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Hawkes said, looking him in the eye. Standing his ground.

Danny turned to Adam next and saw the same steely determination in his eyes and knew there was no way he was getting past him either. Throwing his hands up in the air, he turned to Stella.

"Is this pick on Danny day or something?" he asked her.

Stella stood in the same place she had been since the beginning, going over what she had seen and what she had heard.

"What have you done?" she asked, her voice low and a touch fearful. As though she wanted to know the answer but at the same time, knowing that she wouldn't like it.

"What makes you think I've one anything wrong?"

"Maybe because your girl friend just walked out of here with another man, one that looked like he wanted to put you in traction, and left without a backward glance. She didn't even stop to see how to you where Danny."

"I suggest you check the answering machine in your office" Adam said, speaking up for the first time since entering the room.

Stella hadn't seen Adam in a bad mood before, but she was getting definite hints of it now and she wondered if he was one of those people who let it build up and build up before it finally exploded. She'd hate to be around if that ever happened.

"What are you talking about?" Danny demanded, rounding on the lab tech who, to his credit, didn't lower his gaze or back down.

"You have a message." Hawkes said, drawing Danny's attention onto him. "Though why she needed to call you at the office, at that time of night, when she lives right next door to you, is a mystery to me."

Stella watched as the blood drained from Danny's face. This time as he barged past the two men on the door, they let him. Lindsay and Flack where long gone by now and he was headed in the opposite direction.

Stella watched him go, a lot of emotions whirling through her head along side lots of situations. She looked at Hawkes who gazed sadly back at her.

"Take the worse case scenario," he told her. She did, and she let out a groan.

"Your kidding me" she asked almost hopefully.

Both men shook their heads. Turning, they all looked over their shoulders at Danny who sat hunched up in the small office, his head in his hands as he pressed another button on the phone answering machine.

"I'm going to kill him" she stated.

"Join the queue" Adam told her as he walked away from the walls and took a seat. Swivelling it round slightly.

Stella watched him for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts before addressing Hawkes.

"How?…" she began.

"Lindsay heard her leave the message last night, and Flack found her still here, hours later. We'd organised to go out for drinks and she tagged along with him. We ended up at mine and the whole story came out." he stopped, his attention caught by movement outside the room they stood in.

The door opened just then and Mac came in.

"Can some explain to me why I've just been told there was a fist fight in my lab?" he asked, looking form one to the other.

"Technically, no one landed a punch so," Adam began before he looked up and caught the look his boss was giving him. He could be heard swallowing audibly.

"Nothing happened Mac," Stella said, cutting in. "Flack and Danny just butted heads, that's all."

Mac looked round at them all again, before letting his gaze wonder out of the room they stood to where Danny sat looking as thought his whole world had just come crashing down round his ears.

"Explain to me then why he," he said, pointing at Danny. "Is in there, while Lindsay is with Flack."

"I think Lindsay wants to talk to you about that herself" Hawkes put in. Mac nodded.

"She said she did." he said sadly, his gaze once again on Danny. "She also said she's going for lunch now, at the Chinese round the corner if anyone wants to join her."

"You up for it?" Hawkes asked Stella, who was already putting away the evidence and signing all the necessary forms. Adam nodded

"Whatever's going on, I want you all to remember one thing." he said as he stood at the door on his way out, addressing all of them. "This is a crime lab, not the set of a soap opera. When your on the job, your on the job. All personal stuff goes out the window. Ok?"

_A/N - This is as long as my essay is to be (due Friday). Want to bet that that, my essay, will take me more than a three hours to write?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Things have been left hanging on the show, haven't they? Both with Mac and the whole DL issue._

_Anyone fancy joining me in a take over bid? All I recon we'd need, is a couple of billion. I have about 40 in change laying about the place. Not a lot, but it's a start._

_Any other contributions? Just think of what we could do!_

_This is mainly a filler chapter, more to come later. If anyone's still interested._

* * *

The ride down in the elevator was similar, but in so many ways different from the one they had shared the night before. It was the polar opposite from the one that they had shared up to the crime lab that very morning with Hawkes and Adam, the laughter and teasing putting everything else to the side and helping them focus on the day ahead.

This time he was the one who was being comforted in an odd way. Lindsay had kept a hold of his hand as they entered the steel contraption, and still held it now as they descended. Alternating between running her thumb over his knuckles and digging her nails into his skin.

He took the hint.

She was trying to calm him down, while at the same time let him know that she wasn't too happy with him right now, and that he was going to hear about it later on.

Hawkes had been right, he shouldn't have caused a scene in there. Even if she hadn't of been there to witness it, she would have heard about it at a later date and he still would have been in the same predicament that was plaguing him now.

"Probably an even worse one" he thought, shooting a glance at her while she was preoccupied watching the numbers count slowly down to zero. Had she had had the time to actually think about what he had done, what he had started, then he was of no doubt that they only thing that would be left remaining of him, would be his tie collection.

And many said that that was a crime in itself: to allow that to remain in existence.

By some stroke of luck, the elevator continued down to the ground floor without pausing to pick up anyone else, and as the doors slid open with a soft ping, she let go of his hand (which he instantly missed) before grabbing a hold of his arm and walking out with him. Though it was really him following her as he still wasn't quite sure where they where going.

There luck hadn't followed them all the way down though, probably having got caught round about floor five, as they walked straight of the elevator and straight into Mac.

The former navy seal looked them both over before raising an eyebrow, giving them a questioning glance and asking a silent question.

Flack deferred to Lindsay, unsure of exactly how much she wanted to divulge and he was unwilling to cause her any more problems than those she was already facing. They where bad enough bad enough on there own without him adding to them even more than he had already done.

"Is it ok if I head for lunch now Mac?" Flack heard Lindsay ask.

Mac gave her a long look, as though he could tell just from looking what was going on, before glancing up at Flack and then back again before addressing her.

"I'll see you in my office later?" he asked gently, but in a tone that said is wasn't a request. Lindsay nodded to him as she and Flack stepped to the side to allow Mac by and into the elevator.

"Mac," Lindsay called out to her boss as he reached over to press the button for the 35th floor.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking up.

"We're going to the Chinese a block away," she told him as the doors began to close. "In case anyone wants to join us."

They both saw Mac nod once, before the doors closed and they where left looking at reflects of themselves in the mirrored panelling.

"Come on," she said, tugging at his arm and heading in the direction of the doors. "Your buying me lunch."

Mac watched as the majority of his team packed up the evidence they had been working on, log it back in and head for an early lunch. Grabbing coats and bags on the way out, avoiding talking to anyone but their small group and then only when they reached the safety of the elevators.

He had known something was up when he had ran into Lindsay and Flack down on the ground floor. Apart from the fact that they weren't working a case together, Lindsay wasn't due to go on her lunch for another hour or so, if she took that. It wasn't unusual for her to be seen perusing case files with half a sandwich in her hand or a take out box on her desk but it was unusual for her to cut out.

The way she had a grip of Flack also gave something away, and as he made his way silently up to the crime lab, Mac bet with himself that Don had something to do with it. And if it was Flack she was leading away, then he had a pretty good idea who the other person could be.

He didn't want to be right though. Being right meant something had happened, was happening, and it was going to cause problems that he really didn't want to deal with right now.

Scratch that. He didn't want to have to deal with them at all.

Stepping out of the lift on his floor, he was immediately accosted by Burke, their head technician and glorified lab rat who preferred paper work and departmental meeting these days over good solid forensic work, who had promptly queried Mac on his ability to keep two hot heads like that under control.

This of course, had lead Mac to ask what he was talking about and ended up with him getting a blow by blow encounter, where no one had even thrown a punch that had landed, like he was ring side at a big fight title match.

Nodding to Burke, Mac continued further in to the lab, passing by employee after employee, each with a different look on their face. A couple of the girls even looked as though they where about to swoon and Mac attributed that to the two, relatively good looking men going one on one. That and the fumes.

As he rounded the corner he spotted Danny hastily leaving one of the evidence rooms and heading in the direction of the office space he shared with Lindsay. He watched him hit something on the desk before collapsing into a chair and holding his head in his hands.

Turning his attention back to the evidence room, Mac entered and wasn't surprise to still feel the tension sparkle and bristle within the room. After delivering his message to the remaining members of his team and watching them pack up to leave, Mac turned his attention to the man in the other room and exactly what he was going to do with him.


End file.
